Counting device



Aug. 31, 1926.

C. LE R. STARK qaufiwmc DEVICE i Filed Au 5 1st '29, 192 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fill/B11701. CHARLES LL ROY jTAR/f r M A :7

Patented Aug. 31, 1926 UNITED STATES cinemas LE "nor srAiax, or WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

COUNTING DEVICE.

, Application filed August 29. 1923.

This invention relates to a counting de vice and especially to a device of this character which is adapted to be attached to a fruit paring and coring machine. In apple growing districts where the major-portion of the crop is dried, it is first necessary to pare and core the applesand then to slice the same before it is possible. to sulphur and dry them. Machines run by individual o'perators are usually employed for paring and coring, as hand work is too slow and ex pensive. Some operators are'paid by the day and others again by the box, the pay bytlie box being usually preferred bythe workers or operators, as they can then work as slowly or fast as they like, but even so considerable trouble is encountered, that is, one box may contain fairly small apples and others largeand so on, and some of the opcraters will, therefore, complain claiming that they are getting more than their share of small apples.

The object of thepresent invention is to avoid. the above-mentioned difficulties by providing an arrangement whereby the workers may be paid by the number of apples cored and pared, that is, by paying the workers for instance ten cents a hundred or some similaramount The object is accomplished by placing a counting device on each machine which will register each apple cored and pared,.and simultaneously total the same, thus indicating atthe end of the days' run the total number of apples handled by each operator. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide means 'for preventing fraudulentoperation of'the counting mechanism. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

One form which the invention may assume is shown in the following description and illustrated by way'of example in the accompanying] drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of an apple corin and paring machine showing the application of the counting device.

Fig.2 is an enlarged front view of the counting mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan section takenon line 33 of Fig. 2. p

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates' in general a suitable form of apple coring and paring machine and B the counting mechanism e n loyed in con unction therewith. The mac ine proper consists of "a mainframe C, on one sideof which is Serial No. 659,957.

forkh'ead 3 rotates the apples during the paring and coring operation and rotates in unison with the shaft 2. This shaft is a tubular shaft and a rod 4 extends therethrough. This rod will hereinafter be referred to as the core ejecting rod, and its function and operation will later be de scribed. v I

Secured on one end of the main frame is a stationary shaft 5 and journalled thereon are a pair of integral driving gears?) and 7 which are rotated by means of a hand crank 8. The larger gear 7 .inte 'meshes with a pinion 9 secured on the tubular driving shaft 2, while the smallerdriving gear "6 iiitermeshes with a larger gear 10 hereinafter to be referred to as the cam gear.

Slidably mountedon one side of the frame 7 IS a carriage 11, this carriage being suportedf by means of a guide rod 12 which is slidably mounted in: a pair of lugs 14" forii'ied on the respective ends of the main frameC. 'Thecarriagecarries the paring knife generally indicated at Hand a coring knife which'is generally indicatedat 15. Recip'rocable,niovement is transmitted to the 'ca rriage through means of a cam 16 which is formed asa part. of the gear 10.

i'lheYina'chine or mechanism so far described is old ai'idwell known, but: a brief description, has been submitted so that the operation of the counting mechanism will be clearly understood.

The counting mechanism is. enclosed in a casing generally indicated at B, this casing I being secured between the' two main uprights of the frame indicated at 17.

Mou'iit'e d interioi'ly of the casing'is a standard counting and accumulat ng mechanism such 'as'sliown at 18, and extending from one side thereof'is an actuating shaft 19.

Secured on this shaft 'is'an upwardly extending arm 20 and pivo'tally mounted on the upward end 'thereofas at 21 is a secondary arm or finger 22. Pivotally mounted in one end ofthe' casing at 23 is a bell crank which is provided with two arms generally indicated at 24L and 25. The upper arm 24 extends in under the upper finger 22,

' and the lower. arm 25 is extended downill) r side of arm end of which is conoil lever 34- which is one end of the main The push-oft lever i '0 arms, the one indicated at and z secont. arm such as indicated at This arn is disposec. in parallelism with the cam near 10 and is intermittently err gaged byi. crank pin 37 formed on one i of the gear 10. The function and operatior of the push'o'ti' lever o arm will hereinafter be described.

Before explaining the operation of the present machine and particularly the countlllL' device. it must be uncerstood that the main purpose f the present invention is to make a registration or each and every apple cored and pared, and to total the amount of apples haiiz'iled during a days run. Fun thermore, I provide means for preventing fraudulent operation of the counting device. Havin r these features in mind the operation will be as follows:

When it is desired to pare and core an apple, it is first necessary to grasp "he apple with the left hand and to force it over the prongs of the forkhead indicated at When the apple is thus forced onto the prongs. it will be thoroughly grasped and securely held and will at the same time force the core discharging rod inwardly or in a direction towards the crank am 8. This movement of the core removing rod is permitted as the shaft 2 is tubular and as the opposite end of the rod projects through the pinion 9. A head is formed on this end of the core removing rod and this head engages th: arm 34: of the push-oil. leve' and rock it so that it will assume the position shown in l. A second push rod is also actuated when the apple is applied, this rod be ing the one indicated at 26. A head is formed on the forwa 'd end or the red as shown at- 26, this head being engaged by the apple when it is forced over the forks. The pusher rod 26 is thus moved in the direction of arrow see Fig. 2 and a rocking movement is imparted to the bell crank. Arm will thus swing upwadly and as its forward end engages the finger this will be moved to assume avertioal position as indicated by dotted lines at 22 After the apple l been forced into position on the :torkhead, it will only le necessarv tor the operator to grasp the hand crank 5% and to rotate the st me. Rotation ol the hand crank causes the gears (3 ani 7 to rotate and .c-anilarlv the gears t) and it). the

then completed. This is then. removed and :1 new apple is applied. It is during the forward movement of the Cztl'llttifQ that the counting nier ianism L5 is actuaieiil and this is accomplished follows By refea'ing to Fig. it will be noted that the rear portion of the tfasllii ll is; slot'ed as indicated at l0, and tha 3t normally assumes the dottc:

l line posiion indicated at 30. thus as the carriage raveas in a forward direction a portion thereof sucl as indicated at 4-1. engrthe arm 30 and swings it in the direction of arrow --cabout its pivot it). The opposite end of the arm 30 or that indicated at 31 will thus swing 'rom the dotted line position indicated at 31. in the direction oi' arrow and as linger has already been swung to a vertical position into the path of movement of arm 3-1, it will be cngaged by the arm and will be rocked in the direction of the arrow -cl.

The counting mechanism is actuated din ing this i'novemcnt of the arms n and 2" and as the arm 31 swings over behind tilt arm 2 the arm released and returns to 'cal position. it being held in horizon tal position by a spring mechanism contained in the counting or accumulating device and not here illustrated.

The accountirn mechanism has now been a actuated the apple which has bv this time been pared and cored, has hccn a counted for. During the return strokior the carriage, the paring; knife and the coring; knife are retracted and the core at the same time ejected. this being accomplished by pin 37 engaging arm it and rocking the push-oti' lever in the direction of the arrow hen the push-oil lever rocks in the direction of arrow c--. arm 3st, engages the rod t and this is to red forvarijllv between the forkhetds, thus ejecting" the core which was cut by the knife 15. The apple may now be removed by hand and the fresh apple inserted, and the operation repeated. The pusher rod indicated at 33 is also connected to the push-oil lever indicated at function an 34 as previously stated, and the'rod 33 will therefore advance in unison with the'core 'lent operation is thus rovided.

It must be remem ered that if arm 30 "always assumed the dotted line position sh'ownin Fig. 3,it would not only be heces sary for the operator to reach behind'the machine and rock the arm 30 in the direction of arrow ''b. If he repeated this time and again, "each movement would advance the register or counting mechanism one numeral. This is, however, prevented as a double check against fraudulent operation has been provided.

First of all, it is necessary to impart a rocking movement to the crank consisting of arms 24 and 25, so as to raise the finger 22 to vertical position. If this is not done and if finger 22 is permitted to remain in horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, no operation of the counting mechanism will take place, as arm 31 will swin freely above finger 22 and will not operate t e same.

It can therefore be seen that it is necessary to place an apple on the forkhead 3. This forces the pusher rod 26 in the direction of arrow -a and thus imparts rocking movement to arm 24 causing the same to raise the finger 22 to vertical position. At the same time that the pusher rod 26 is actuated, the core ejecting rod 4 is also pushed backwardly by the apple and the opposite end thereof will therefore engage the push-off lever and swing this to the position shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the push-off lever will retract the pusher rod 33 causing it to release the lug 32. Shaft 27 will then rotate and swing the arms 30 and 31 to the dotted line position shown at 30* and 31 where it is ready to be actuated by the carriage arm 41 when it is correctly operated. Shaft 27 is only held in the full line position shown in Fig. 2 when the pusher rod 33 assumes its innermost position in engagement with the lug 32, but it rotates and assumes the dotted line position shown when the pusher rod 33 is retracted, this rotary movement being insured by a spring 44 attached to one end of the casing and having the opposite end secured to a crank arm 45 carried by the shaft. Arms 30 and 31 cannot rotate on their pivot 29 except when actuated by the carriage arm 41, as they are held in a predetermined 'positioninoperative by means of a. spring 46. i 7

From the'foregoing description, it can be seen that each and every apple placed in'the machine which'is pared and cored 1s mg 7 other wordshave to use both hands to ac J 'complish this and it would very likely be detected by the foreman of the plant or "other overseer. In fact,'it would not pay an operator to fraudulently operate the counting mechanism, as rod 4 would have to be carefully forced backwardly between the forkhead 3. That is, the forward ends of the forlthea'd are very sharp and would very likely injure the finger'tips'of the worker, unless the operation of retracting the rod 4 was carefully undertaken. The forkhead ends are placed close together,'thus increasing the difficulty in reaching the rod 4 and forcing it backwardly between the forks. In fact, the time taken in performing the fraudulent operation would be more than that of paring the apple. It may here be stated that a guard may be placed over the opposite end of the rod 4 and the push-ofl' lever 34 and thus prevent operation of the rod from that end.

While the present mechanism and the means for operating the same have here been more or less specifically described, I wish it understood that various changes in the design and construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims; furthermore, that the material and workmanship of the different parts employed may be changed to suit varying conditions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine of the character described,

having a main frame, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the frame, a counting mechanism mounted thereon a forkhead for the reception of apples to be cored and pared, means for transmitting the reciprocating movement of the carriage to actuate the counting mechanism, and means cooperating with the forkhead to prevent actuation of the counting mechanism if an apple is not placed on the forkhead.

2. In a machine of the character described, having a main frame, a reciprocating carriage mounted thereon, a forlrhead for the reception of apples to be cored and pared, a casing secured to the frame, a counting mechanis in the casing, an arm whereby lid the counting mechanism is actuated, a finger pivotally mounted on said arm and normally assuming a horizontal position, means actuated by the placing of an apple on the torkhead for raising the finger to a vertical position, and other means actuated by the reciprocating movement of the carriage for engaging the finger to impart an oscillating movement to the torlzhead and its supporting arnr 3. In a machine of the characterdescribed, having a main frame, a reciprocating scarriage mounted thereon, a forkhead for the reception of apples to be cored and pared, a casing secured to the frame, a counting mechanism in the casing, an arm whereby the counting mechanism is actuated, a shaft Vertically disposed in the casing adjacentthe counting mechanism, an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft. said arm being e11- gagcd by the carriage during its reciprocating movement and being rocked thereby to cause said arm to en gage the first named arm and to impart an oscillating moven'ient thereto to actuate the counting mechanism, means cooperating with the torlthead for swinging the second named arm out of engagement with the carriage thereby rendering the first named and second named arms inoperative it an apple is not placed on the torkhead.

In a machine of the character described, having a main frame a torkhead for the reception of apples to be cored and pared, a core ejecting rod cooperating therewith, a counting mechanism mounted thereon, and means actuated by the core ejecting rod for operating the counting mechanism.

5. In a machine of the character described, having a main frame a forkhead for the reception of apples to be cored and pared, a core ejecting rod cooperating therewith, a reciprocating carriage a counting mechanism mounted thereon, and means actuated by the core ejecting rod for operating the counting mechanism, an arm on the counting mechanism, a second arm pivotally mounted adjacent the same and engageable with the first named arm to rock the same to actuate the counting mechanism, the reciprocating carriage being engageable with the second named arm, and means for rendering the second named arm inoperable if an apple is not placed on the forkhead.

CHARLES LE ROY STARK. 

